


he trades his guns for love, but he's caught in the crossfire

by alternateevak



Category: Degrassi: Next Class
Genre: Brothers, Canon Non-Binary Character, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Internalized Homophobia, Pansexual Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 07:21:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15814155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alternateevak/pseuds/alternateevak
Summary: Hunter has a nightmare about his dad after discovering his pansexuality. Miles helps him.or why I think hunter reacted the way he did to Yael





	he trades his guns for love, but he's caught in the crossfire

Hunter lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling at 1am. Thoughts plagued his mind, confusion rushing through his veins as he tiredly curled up under the covers and forced his eyes shut in the hopes that doing so would make him fall asleep. It didn’t. Every time he closed his eyes he saw his dad, yelling at him because he wasn’t normal anymore. 

The conversation he’d had with friends earlier in the day scared him. Just because he liked Yael didn’t make him different, did it? He liked girls he was sure of it. But even now, when he thought of Yael his heart starts to race and he knows he loves them. There was nothing he could do about that. But he liked girls.

There came the question he’d been dreading to ask himself. If he still loved them, then what did that make him? He was meant to be Hunter Hollingsworth, son of the mayor who would grow up and have a perfect life with perfect kids and be rich just like his father. That sent a shiver through his spine. Even though he stupidly still loved his dad, he’d never want to be like him.

He closed his eyes again before immediately opening them to check his clock. 2am. He wiped at his eyes and threw his hands into his hair, pulling on it and slamming the back of his back into his pillows. 

Eventually, exhaustion overtook his senses and he feel into an unblissful sleep. 

_ Hunter saw himself, sitting on the steps of his back garden with his arm around Yael. His dad walked outside and saw him, looking at the pair in confusion. Hunter saw himself just smile and wave at his dad. The man narrowed his eyebrows and walked over as calmly as possible.  _

_ “Hunter, could i speak to you for a second?” His dad asked, sparing glances at Yael as he did so. Hunter didn’t see himself speak, just saw a small nod as he followed the him and his dad into the house. His dad stared at the other him for a few seconds, watching the hunter shuffle his feet on the floor and run hand through his hair.  _

_ “What’s up, dad?” he asked, his voice deeper than he was used. He coughed to clear his throat, Hunter noticed, and then waited for his dad to respond.  _

_ “I thought you liked girls?” His dad said, looking at Hunter as if he was a different person. The other Hunter narrowed his eyebrows. _

_ “I do” He said, confusion also laced in his voice. _

_ “So what you’re saying is the person you were sitting with outside was a girl?” His dad asked. The other Hunter looked conflicted, knowing his dad would think it was confusing. His worst nightmare.  _

_ “No, they’re not a girl or boy” He said, unsure of how else to put it.  _

_ “That’s stupid and doesn’t make sense” His dad said, sighing and running a hand over the creases on his forehead. “I thought i at least raised you to be normal” His dad said quietly but the other Hunter heard and it made this Hunter step back as he saw the rage on the duplicate of him’s face.  _

_ “There is no normal dad!” He exclaimed and his dad looked at him with annoyance in his eyes.  _

_ “So you’re trying to tell me it’s okay for the girl out there to dress and look like a boy and then call herself neither?” His dad asked. _

_ “Themself, they aren’t a girl dad” Hunter said “Why should it matter if i love them?” _

_ His dad turned to him and raised his eyebrows. “They is plural”  _

_ “That’s exactly what i said when i first found out” Hunter said, narrowing his eyebrows at his dad “Guess i know where i get my narrow mindedness from” _

_ “You don’t get to speak to me like that” His dad yelled, raising his hand to slap him. He saw the other Hunter’s eyes widen as he did and th- _

“No!” He screamed as he sat up in his bed with tears rolling down his cheeks. He wiped his eyes and held his head in his hands, checking the clock. Great, he’d only been asleep for 2 hours. 4am.

He heard a small knock on his door and he looked at it confused. He sat up straight and wiped his eyes furiously. 

“Come in” He said, trying not to sound choked up. The door creaked open and he squinted at the light coming from the hall. He saw the shadow of his older brother walk into the room. He must’ve heard him yell and woke him up, their rooms are right next to eachother considering how big the house is. 

“Hey” His brother said and Hunter just ran his fingers through his own hair. “You okay?” His brother continued as he walked over and sat next Hunter. Hunter sat back on his bed and crossed his legs, shrugging his shoulders. 

“I-I dont’ know” He said tiredly, closing his eyes and letting his head fall on his brothers shoulder. 

“Bad dream?” Miles asked, throwing his arm around his brother. Usually, Hunter would be against this kind of thing but he’s so exhausted he needed it. He nodded lightly. “Wanna tell me what it was about?” 

“Not really” He mumbled in response and Miles chuckled lightly. “I mean I don’t know anything anymore really do i? It was just a stupid dream” He said, sitting up off his brother shoulder and curling in on himself a little bit. 

“What do you mean?” Miles said, turning to look at him a bit. “Its not stupid if you wake up screaming no at 4am”

“I guess” He says “I’m just so exhausted it’s like a cycle. I can’t sleep and then as soon as i do it’s only for like an hour because i keep having the same stupid nightmare”

“Why?” Miles asked, his voice sympathetic for a pair of people who are bad at this kind of thing. 

“Doesn’t matter” Hunter muttered and Miles scoffed. 

“Come on, i thought we were getting better at this” Miles said and Hunter took in a deep breath. 

“I still love Yael” He says and Miles narrows his eyebrows in confusion. 

“You two broke up?” He asked and Hunter shrugged his shoulders. 

“Kind of, not really i-” He says, taking a deep breath and wiping his eyes a bit. “I did a shitty thing because I was scared and I still am”

“I don’t get it what did you do?” Miles asked, looking at him with wide eyes and Hunter knew exactly what he thought as he did. Hunter shook his head really quickly.

“I didn’t do anything like that if that’s what you’re asking i’d never hurt he- them like that again” He said, knowing what his brother was implying and noticed the breath that Miles let out at that. “Sh- They told me that they weren’t a boy or a girl, so …… they’re using they and them pronouns now and i-i want them to be happy don’t get me wrong but-”

“But what does that make you?” Miles muttered, finishing Hunter’s sentance. Hunter nodded. 

“I love Yael but when my friends starting talking about how I was poly or pan or whatever it is i don’t know i got scared” He said, hesitanting throughout still not used to the whole sharing his feelings thing. He knows its important after what happened last time but it’s hard. 

“Why is it scary? I’m bi and you’ve never had anything against that” Miles said and when Hunter didn’t respond straight away, Miles’ eyes widened. “have you?”

“No of course not” Hunter said quickly, he loved his brother for who he is. “It’s just different, y’know?”

“Not really” Miles said, shifting his position so he could look at Hunter who was looking down at his sheets. “Unless it isn’t you being pan you’re worried about?” Miles finsihed slowly.

“K-Kind of- I mean- I guess so?” Hunter said, having trouble with his words as he watched as he laced his hands togetehr and pulled them apart. “What are people going to say? It’s not like you it’s different i was looking it up if you’re pan you like and love anybody regardless of gender and it just-” He stopped to take a breath before muttering the next bit. “What’s he going to say?” 

“He? Like as in Dad?” Miles asked, his voice wavering over the word dad. 

“I know it’s stupid i shouldn’t care but it took him years to finally accept you for who you are and even know he seems kinda weird about it and you’ve only ever been with one guy” Hunter replied, his voice quick and strained. Miles sighed. 

“No it’s not stupid. Sure he’s an ass but he’s still your dad and i know you love him it’s okay” Miles said and Hunter looked up at him teary eyed.

“After everything with the hospital it’s not him caring im scared of it’s his reaction” He said to his brother and wiped his eyes shaking his head. “When i got out the hospital i got an angry phone call from him, he told me if i messed up like that again that-” he stopped to wipe his eyes. He didn’t usually cry this much. He felt his brotehrs arms wrap around him tightly. 

“It’s okay, Hunter, it’s okay” Miles muttered into his brothers hair, taking deep breathes to stop himself from storming out the house and going to find his dad despite how awful he made him feel. After a few more seconds, Hunter let go. “You with me?” 

“I’m such a dick” Hunter said, laughing slightly. 

“Get some sleep and talk to Yael tomorrow, tell them what you told me and you guys’ll be okay” Miles said and he went to leave. 

“Wait!” He exclaimed and Miles stopped at the door turned around. “I know i’m 17 now and everything but can you stay?” He asked and Miles thought his brother looked younger than ever in that moment.

“Sure” Miles said and came and lay next to Hunter. 

The first time in days Hunter fell asleep and even though it was 5am, when he did it was blissful and calming and nice. 

He was thankful for his brother.

 


End file.
